A most popular sport among the truly civilized is that of golf, a sport where the player seeks to accurately propel a small ball having a diameter of less than about 1.64 inches into a hole, having a diameter of about 4.25 inches, from distances hundreds of yards away. Though at times it is a significant temptation to toss or kick the ball, the rules of the game require that the ball be hit using a golf club as the sole propelling implement. A typical golf club comprises a long shaft having a generally flat surface on a weighted bulbous end. The club is gripped on the shaft at a point distal the bulbous end and is swung in an arc such that the flat surface on the bulbous end contacts the ball and thus propels the ball toward the hole. The objective of the game is to propel the ball into the hole in the least number of hits, with a truly momentous occasion being the accomplishment of this feat in a single hit.
It is generally thought that the ability of the golfer to attain a controlled hit, that is one where the ball is hit in a reasonably precise direction and distance, is in large part determined by the manner in which the golfer's legs move and bend while his hands and arms swing the club at the ball. In turn it is believed that the golfer's stance contributes greatly to the leg, hand and arm movements of the swing and thus is a key element in attaining a controlled hit.
Over the years, a preferred stance has been suggested wherein the golfer desirably addresses the ball, with slightly bent knees, and seeks to swing the club with his arms through a wide arc to contact the ball. Preferably, the golfers legs tilt and turn through the arcing swing in such manner that the ball is contacted through a point in the arc where the maximum force of the golfers body can be shifted to drive the ball to its greatest distance and most accurate placement. Preferably this swinging action of the golfer is repeatable time and again such that the ball can be consistently hit with a desired force and accurate placement.
The great majority of golfers find if difficult, if not impossible, to develop a consistently repeatable swing that reasonably assures consistently hitting the ball in accurate placement and with the desired force. Many golfers obtain the assistance of professional golf teachers to review their swing and help teach them an appropriate swing that will allow them to become more accurate and consistent. Many teachers have developed tricks and devices which appear to assist them in training the golfer to attain a desirable swing. As a result, multiple devices have been developed to assist the golfer in developing a consistently repeatable swing, most of which tend to restrain the body movement of the golfer within a predetermined swing path.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that assists the golfer in developing a repeatable swing.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a device that improves the swing of the golfer from a preferred stance.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device and/or process that trains the golfer to shift his weight and bend his knees in a preferred swing activity.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing.